From: Hrccomm@aol.com
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 1995 15:12:53 -0500
Subject: President Urged to Veto Defense Measure That Discriminates

_________________________________________________________________

NEWS from the
Human Rights Campaign

1101 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
email:  communications@hrcusa.org
WWW:    http://www.hrcusa.org
_________________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, December 20, 1995

PRESIDENT URGED TO VETO DEFENSE MEASURE THAT DISCRIMINATES
                           AGAINST HIV-POSITIVE SERVICE MEMBERS

 GO TO HRC'S WEB SITE AND SEND YOUR MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT CLINTON
                                                  http://www.hrcusa.org


WASHINGTON -- In a letter to President Clinton today, the Human Rights
Campaign urged
the President to veto a massive spending bill for the Department of Defense
that includes a
discriminatory measure mandating the discharge of service members who are
infected with
HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.  The provision, originally pushed by U.S.
Representative
Robert Dornan (R-Calif.), would force the Pentagon to fire able-bodied
personnel who are
successfully fulfilling their duties.  The Human Rights Campaign, the
nation's largest lesbian
and gay political organization, urged Clinton to veto the measure.

"Dornan's provision singles out men and women with HIV and treats them
differently from
service members with other diseases," said Winnie Stachelberg, senior health
policy advocate
for the Human Rights Campaign.  "Discrimination against people with HIV is
just one of the
many reasons that the President should veto this defense spending bill.
Another objectionable
provision restricts access of servicewomen and dependents to privately-funded
abortions in
U.S. military hospitals abroad."

The Department of Defense Authorization (H.R. 1530) conference report passed
the Senate
Tuesday, December 19 by a vote of 51-43.  The Dornan provision would single
out the 1,150
HIV-positive service members for early separation.  Service members with
medical conditions
that also render them non-worldwide deployable such as diabetes, asthma,
heart disease and
cancer would remain employed until they could no longer perform their duties.

"This provision removes trained, experienced, physically healthy and
productive men and
women from the armed forces," Stachelberg said.  "There is no sound military
or medical
reason for this mandate.  Congress has buckled under to the extremists, and
President Clinton
should stand up for the values of fairness and common sense."

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